Wire-bender.



L. D. DANFORTH.

WIRE BENDBR.

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942,440. A Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

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L. D. DANPORTH.

WIRE BENDER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 7, 19m

@42;44@ Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

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IINITED STATES `IIENT OFFICE LOUIS D. DANFORTH, 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

WIRE-BENDER.

Application led March 7, 1908,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis D. DANFORTH, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Denver and State of same, referencebeing had to the accompany! ing drawings, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a device more especially adapted for bendingwire though it may be employed if desired for bending metal bands ormetal parts or bars of any desired description assuming of course thatthe device is made of sufficient strength to accomplish the purpose.

In this specification the construction will be considered as arbenderfor comparatively small wires such as may be employed or are employed inthe manufacture of pencil holders, though it must be understood as aboveindicated that its use is not by any means limited thereto.

In my improved construction I employ a stationary plate to which is madefast an abutment and upon which is also mounted a slidable abutmentwhich cooperates with the stationary abutment. Pivotally mounted uponthis plate is an operating member which acts on the wire to force itagainst the slidable abutment which is caused to recede automatically ormove away from the bent portion of the wire, thus allowing the doubledor bent portion of the wire to come in contact with the stationaryabutment against which it is forced by the operating device. Theoperating device preferably consists of a plate having the shape of aquarter of a circle which is also the prefcrred shape of the stationaryabutment. Normally the operating plate and the stationary abutment arein contact with each other forming a half circle, as the construction isshown in the drawing. rIhe shape, however, of the stationary abutment isimmaterial so long as it presents an abutting face to the slidableabutment and the operating plate. The wire to be bent is held betweenthe slidable abutment and the stationary abutment and protrudes beyondthe same to engagement with the operating Specication of LettersPatent.)

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

Serial No. 419,618.

plate which is constructed to bend the wire at the point where it leavesthe two abutments. As the operating plate is moved to perform thebending function, the protrud ing portion of the wire is bent, this bentmember being finally brought into engagement with an inclined face withwhich the disappearing abutment is provided. I-Iowever, as the pressureon the operating device is continued, the slidable abutment is caused torecede or move away from the adjacent face of the stationary abutment,thus allowing the operating plate to force the bent vmember of the wireagainst the body of the wire whereby the bent member is caused to engagethe body portion. In case it is not desired to bend the wire to thisdegree, the slidable abutment may be made stationary and in this eventthe bevel of its face will determine the shape of the hook to be formedby bending the wire. The construction is provided with a pawl whichengages the disappearing abutment and automatically locks it at itsrearward limit of movement, until the operating plate is returned to itsnormal position when a device carried by said plate, acts on the pawl torelease the slidable abutment allowing' the latter to return to itsnormal position. This forward movement of the slidable abutment acts onthe bent portion of the wire to draw the latter forwardly whereby itsremoval from the device is facilitated.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed todescribe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved device, theparts being shown in position before the bending operation commences. Inthis view the wire to be bent is in position. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the device with its parts in the position which they occupyafter the bending function has been performed. Fig. 3 is a similar viewshowing the parts in their normal position, after the slidable abutmenthas been released and returned to its normal position carrying the bentextremity of the wire forwardly to facilitate its removal as heretoforeexplained. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing a piece of wire such as myimproved instrument is adapted to bend. Fig. 5 is a detail viewillustrating the wire after the wire bending operation is complete.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the linel 6-6 Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a sectiontaken on the line 7 7 Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is an underneath detail View of theoperating plate showing thel disk bearing with which it is connected.Fig. 9 is affragmentary.elevation of the structure looking in thedirection of arrow 9 in Figs. 1 and 3.

The same reference characters indicate the sameparts in all the views.4

Let the numeral' designate vastationary plate upon which the wirebending mechanism hereinafterdescribed is mounted. Itis i assumedthatthis plate occupies a Vert-ical position, being-secured Ato astationary member 6,- by means ofscrews-7lv The supporting plate 5 isprovided with a circular opening 8in which is mounted a disk 9 whichlits closely in said .opening and f The front face of this turns freelytherein. disk is lflush with the corresponding face of the plate 5 andto it is secured an operating memberlO which asshown in the drawinghasthev shape of a quarter of a circle. The rightangled corner of thisplate voccup-lesa position in close proximity to the center of thedevice for bendingpurposes. This face- 54 coperates-with the face 16 ofthe operat# ing member, when the parts are inthe position shown in Fig.2,v to perform the bending function.v

To the vmovable vmember, 10 is attached an operating arm 17 by means ofscrews 18. To lthe undersurface ofthe operating member is attached -asmall plate 19 havinga recess 20 adapted 'to receive the lslightly bentend'21 of the wire preparatory to the vperformance of the bendingfunction when this wire is used for the special purpose intended byapplicant, namely for pencil holder-purposes. The small plate 19 isadjustable on the operating member since itis held in place by a screw22 passing-through a slot 23 formed in the operating member. Bylooseninggthisscrew, the plate maybe adjusted to. bring the recess 21into any desired position. By the adjustment of the plate the lengthofthe `protruding extremity of the wire beyond the abutment may beregulated within reasonable limits. To the upper surface ofthe-operating member 10 is also attached a plate 24 by means of screws25.- This plate protrudes beyond the operating member andis providedwith a depending pin 26, adapted to engage the face 27 of 'a pawl 28pivoted to the plate 5 as move.

shown at 29. The extremity 30 of this pawl opposite the face 27, engagesa recess 31 formed 1n the movable abutment 32 whereby the latter islocked at its rearward limit of movement or in the position shown inFig. 2. This movable abutment isl slidably mounted upon the plate and asshown in the drawing moves between two guides 33 and These guides aresecured to the plate 5 by means of screws35. The screws 35 of the g'uide34 are passed through openings 36 elongated tol permit adjustmentof theguide,- whereby the device is adapted for use with wires ofdifferentsize. The plate 33 is also provided with similar elongated openings 37through which thescrews'35'pass-for a similar purpose. The movableabutment 32 is provided with a set bolt or screwy 33 -which may be usedto tighten the abutment upon the plate 5 when itis not desired that itshall Itsforward extremity is also beveled as shownat 49 forming aninclined face against which the bent portion of the wire is forced. Ifthis abutment is stationary this bevelwill determine theangle of thebend given to th-'e wire, while if it is movable, it allows theabutmentto 'recede without interfering with the bending operation whichcontinues during the receding movement.

The movable abutment when released from engagement withV the pawl 2S, isreturned to its normal or forward position by the recoil ,of a coilspring 39, one extremity of which is connected with the plate 5 as shownat 40, while the other extremity is attached to the abutment by a screw41 which-also serves to rigidly attach to the said abutment, `an arm42which projects upwardly from the rear yextremity of the abutment, itsfree extremity 43 being adapted to be engaged by the'operating arm 17during the performance of the wire bending function. It is this contactof the arm 17 with the arm 42, which causes the movable abutment torecede during the completion of the extreme wire bending act.

In order to hold the pawl 2S in operative engagement with the movableabutment, wherebythe' pawl is caused to engage the recess 31'of1theabutment, the springv39 is connected with they pawlin the rear of itspivot by ahook 44.

The guides 33 and 34 between-which the movable abutment operates, arerecessed on opposite sides of the abutment and adjacent the plate 5, toreceive the edges ofthe abutment.- The upper portions ofthe-guidestherefore overlap the abutment and holdit in place. The guide A34 isfurther recessed as sh'own'at 45, to receive the wire 15 to lbe bent.This recess receives the body portion of the wire, and within vit thewire is held securely in place during the bending operation.

As shown in-the drawing (see Fig. G),

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the disk 9 is prevented from leaving the plate 5 by means of a plate 47connected with the disk by a screw 4S. This plate projects beyond theperiphery of the disk and engages the adjacent portion of the plate 5thus preventing the removal of the disk from the operating face of theplate, before the stationary abutment 12 has been put in place. Tith theabutment 1Q in place it will be understood that as the latter 'overlapsthe disk bearing, the said bearing is prevented from escaping from theface of the disk even if the plate 47 were not employed.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my improveddevice will be readily understood. Assuming that the parts are in theposition shown in Fig. 1, and that the wire 15 is also in the posit-ionshown in that figure with its extremity 21 in engagement with the recess20 of the operating plate, the operator will grasp the handle or arm 17of the operating member, and move the said arm in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. As soon as the operating member beginsto move, the portion of the wire which protrudes beyond the abutments 12and 32, begins to bend at a point approximately coinciding with thecenter of the disk bearing 9. This bent portion of the wire continues tomove under the influence of the bending member 10 and is finally broughtinto engagement with the beveled face 49 of the movable abutment. Assoon as this occurs, the arm 17 is brought into engagement with theextremity 43 of the arm 42 and as the movement of the arm 17 iscontinued, the movable abutment is moved rearwardly to the positionshown in Figs. 2 and 3. In this event the rearvextremity of the pawl 28engages the recess 31 of the abutment and locks the latter in itsrearward position. Then t-he abutment is in the last named position, thebent portion of the wire is forced against its adjacent body portion andthe bending operation is complete. The operating member is then returnedto its normal position by reversing the travel of the handle 17 and asit nears its normal position, the pin 26, engages the extremity 27 ofthe operating pawl and actuates the latter sutiiciently to disengage itsrear extremity 30 from the abutment allowing the latter under theinfluence of its spring 39, to return to its normal position. During itsforward travel, the extremity of the abutment engages the hook 21 on thebent extremity of the wire, and carries the latter' forwardly to theposition shown in Fig. 3 whereby the bent end of the wire may be graspedby the operator to facilitate the removal of the wire from the device.

It must be understood that wherever the term cwire is employed in thisspecification, it must be considered sufficiently comprehensive toinclude ya metal partI of any kind, since the invention is not limitedto the bending of what is ordinarily termed wire.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A metal bender comprising a support, an operating member pivotallymounted thereon and having an exterior angle and an abutment providedwith an exterior angle around which the angle of the operating member isadapted to travel, and means for holding the wire in contact with one ofthe angle faces of the abutment, while the operating device is inymot-ion, comprising a member mounted to slide longitudinally of thewire and in contact therewith, and means connected with the slidablemember and actuated from the operating member for automaticallyimparting to the sliding member movement in a rearward direction as theoperating member approaches its limit of movement.

2. A device of the class described comprising a support, an operatingmember pivotally mounted thereon having an exterior angle, an abutmentfast on the support and around which the angle of the operating memberis adapted to travel, a second abutment having a beveled face whosepointed extremity terminates adjacent the exterior angle of the firstabutment, the wire to be bent occupying a position between the twoabutments, the second abutment being mounted to slide longitudinally ofthe wire and in contact therewith, and an operative connection be tweenthe two abutments, whereby the second abutment is actuated during thelatter part of the stroke of the first abutment.

3. A wire bender comprising a support, an abutment tixedly connectedtherewith and having 'an exterior angle, an operating member pivotallymounted on the support, its axis being adjacent the angle of theabutment, the operating member also having an exterior angle coincidingas to position with its axis whereby when the said device is in motionit travels around the exterior angle of the abutment, the wire to bebent being in engagement with one of the angle faces of the abutment andprotruding beyond the same to engagement with one of the faces of theoperating member, a second abutment cooperating to hold the wire inoperative relation with the first named abutment, the second abutmentbeing mounted to slide longitudinally of the wire, and a connectionbetween the two abutments, where by the second abutment is actuated in arearward direction as the rst abutment approaches its limit of movement,substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising an operating memberpivotally mounted thereon and having an exterior angle located adjacentits axis or center of motion, an abutment fixedly connected with thesupport and also having an exterior angle located adjacent thecorresponding angle of the operating member, a second abutment mountedon the support to slide longitudinally of the wire and having a partoccupying a position adjacent one of the angle faces of the fixedabutment, the wire to be bent occupying a position between the t-woabutments and normally protruding beyond the same to engage one of theangle faces of the operating device, the movable abutment having abeveled face terminating in a pointed extremity and normally occupying aposition adjacent the center of motion of the operating device.

5. The combination with a support, of an abutment fixedly connected withthe support and having an exterior angle, an operating member alsohaving an exterior angle located adjacent the corresponding angle of theabutment, the center of motion of the operating member being adjacentthe exterior angles of the abutment and said device, a second abutmentslidably mounted on the support and having a part occupying a positionadjacent one of the angle faces of the fixed abutment, the wire to bebent occupying a position between the two abutments and protrudingbeyond the same to engagement with the operating member,'the movableabutment having a beveled face terminating in a pointed extremitylocated adjacent the center of motion of the operating member andadjacent the exterior angles of the fixed abutment and the said member,the operating member being provided with an arm, and the movableabutment also having a part rigidly connected therewith and adapted to`be engaged by the arm of the operating member during the travel of thelatter, whereby the movable abutment is caused to recede during the wirebending operation, to allow the operating member to force the bentportion of the wire against the body of the latter, the said bodyportion being in engagement with the fixed abutment.

G. The combination with a support, of an operating member pivotallymounted thereon and having an exterior angle located adjacent its centerof motion, an abutment iixedly connected with the support and alsohaving an exterior angle located adjacent the corresponding angle of theoperating member, a second abutment slidably mounted on the support andhaving a part normally occupying a position adjacent one of the anglefaces of the fixed abutment, the movable abutment cooperating with thestationary abutment to hold the wire in place during the bendingoperation, means connected with the inovable abutment and acted on bythe operating member whereby the movable abutment is caused to recededuring the completion of the wire bending operation, means forautomatically locking the movable abutment at it-s rearward limit ofmovement, and means connected with the operating member for releasingthe locking means when the operating member is returned to its normalposition, substantially as described.

7. An operating device comprising .a support, an operating memberpivotally mounted thereon and having an exterior angle located adjacentits center of motion, an abutment iixedly connected with the support andhaving an exterior angle located adjacent the exterior angle of theoperating member and around which the said angle of the operating memberis adapted to travel during the wire bending' operation, a secondabutment slidably mounted on the support and normally spring-held at itsforward limit of movement, the said abutment cooperating with the lixedabutment to hold the wire in place during thewire bending act, themovable abutment having an arm rigidly connected therewith, theoperating device also having an actuated arm, the arm of the movableabutment occupying a position in the path of the arm of the operatingmember whereby the movable abutment is caused te recede during thecompletion of the wirebending act, a pawl for automatically engaging themovable abutment and locking it at its rearward limit of movement, theoperating member having a part adapted to engage the extremity of thepawl remote 100 from its engaging extremity, whereby the pawl isactuated to release the movable abutment, allowing the latter to returnunder the influence of its spring to its forward or normal position,substantially as described.

S. The combination with a support, of an operating member pivotallymo'unted thereon and having an exterior angle located adjacent itscenter of motion, the said device having a recessed plate adjustablymounted 110 on its under surface and adapted to receive a small hookformed on the extremity of the wire to be bent, an abutment ixedlyattached to the support and having an exterior angle around which thecorresponding angle 115 of the operating member is adapted to travel,and means for holding the wire in place in engagement with one of theanglefaces of the abutment during the wire-bending operation,substantially as described.

9. The combination with a support, of an operating device vpivotallymounted thereon and having an exterior angle adjacent its center ofmotion, and an abutment adjustably attached to the support and having an125 exterior angle around which the corresponding angle of the operatingmember is adapted to travel, and a second abutment mounted to slidelongitudinally upon the support and spring-held at its forward limit ofmove- 130 ment coperating with the first named abutment to hold the wirein pla-ce during the wire-bending operation, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a support, of an operating member pivotallymounted on the support and having an exterior angle located adjacent itscenter of motion, an abutment fixedly connected with the support andhaving an exterior angle located adjacent the corresponding angle of theoperating member and around which the angle of the operating member isadapted to travel, a second abutment mounted on the support to slidelongitudinally of the wire to be bent and in contact therewith andcooperating with the first named abutment to hold the wire in placeduring the wire-bending operation, and guides adjustably mounted on thesupport and between which the second abutment is adapted to travelduring the completion of the wire-bending act, substantially asdescribed.

1l. A device of the class described comprising a support, an operatingmember pivotally mounted on the support and having faces intersecting toform an exterior right angle located adjacent its center of motion, andan abutment ixedly mounted on the support and having faces intersectingto form an exterior angle located adjacent the corresponding exteriorangle of the operating member and around which the corresponding angleof the operating member is adapted to travel during the bendingoperation, means for holding the wire in place in contact with one ofthe faces of the said abutment and protruding beyond the same toengagement with a face of the operating member, said means comprising amember mounted to slide longitudinally on the wire to be bent and incontact therewith, and a connection between the slidable member and theoperating member, whereby the slidable memebr is actuated from theoperating member, while the latter is performing the bending function.

12. A metal bender comprising a support, an operating member pivotallymounted thereon and having an exterior angle, an abutment provided withan exterior angle around which the angle of the operating member adaptedto travel, and a second abutment cooperating with the first namedabutment, the metal to be bent occupying a position between the twoabutments, the second abutment being mounted to slide longitudinally ofthe wire to be bent and in contact therewith, and means forautomatically actuating the second abutment as the operating memberapproaches the first named abutment, substantially as described.

13. A metal bender comprising a stationary abutment, a rotary member forperforming the bending function, a movable abutment slidably mounted andcooperating with the stationary abutment to hold the metal part inplace, the movable abutment being normally spring-held at its forwardlimit of movement, and movable longitudinally of the material to be bentand in contact therewith, and a connection between the rotary bendingmember and the movable abutment, whereby the latter is automaticallymoved away from the stationary abutment during the bending movement ofthe rotary member.

' lIn testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

LOUIS D. DANFORTH.

l/Vitnesses:

A. J. OBRIEN, DnNA NELSON.

